Coulee Recollections

Twenty Years Ago

The Town of Coulee Dam may be ready to sell its town shop to a private developer if a suitable site can be found to build a new shop.

Coulee Community Hospital is finding it tough to get the state’s attention focused on its $300,000 hillside slippage problem at a time when western Washington rains have loosened the footing of multi-million dollar neighborhoods.

Scott and Paul Townsend of TNT Welding built frames for signs to be installed on the Columbia River Bridge. The signs depict the history of the Grand Coulee Dam construction era.

With Grand Coulee ready to add a well near North Dam Park to its water system, the Bureau of Reclamation is drilling wells of its own nearby to monitor the other one.

Fifty Years Ago

This week marks the start of another fine addition to the business community of the area as Skaar’s Variety joins the group of new businesses that are being constructed here.

Janice Isbell and Charles Seaton, students at the University of Washington were named to the fall quarter high scholarship list.

Plans are underway to open a north cross state highway in five years. This is the State Highway Department’s projected timetable for the complete of the scenic showplace of the Cascades.

Safeway Stores Inc. are planning to open five new supermarkets in Eastern Washington, one being in Grand Coulee. The stores will represent an investment of more than $4 million.

Sixty Years Ago

A spectacular fire of undetermined origin completely destroyed the interior of the old Columbia River Ice Plant on the Grand Coulee highway shortly after midnight Sunday.

The Grand Coulee City Council at their regular Tuesday meeting voted to have an official census taken of the population here.

The overall plans of the beautification project were outlined to the members of the American Legion 2 Post 157 and auxiliary of Electric City at their last general meeting.

Seventy

Years Ago

Just at dusk Sunday fire was discovered in the office building at the Colville Indian Agency. The fire started in the basement and it is thought to be probably from defective wiring.

The Bureau of Reclamation has the following new wage scales in place - Carpentry foreman $2.31 per hour; drill foreman $2.32 per hour; electrician foreman $2.56 per hour and a heavy-duty mechanic foreman $2.22 per hour.

The Grand Coulee Police Department has warned that dog owners allowing their pets to run loose on property other than their own will be subjected to fines.

Safeway is advertising halibut steaks for 59¢ lb.; large eggs, one doz. 65¢; Edwards Rich coffee 53¢ lb.